• Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility

CVS Falkirk

Supporting, developing and representing community groups, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering

Menu
  • About us
    • Board & Staff
    • Policies & Procedures
    • Publications
    • Falkirk
    • Jargon Buster
    • Work with us
    • Volunteer with us
  • News
    • Thank You from CVS Falkirk
  • Events
  • Voice of the Sector
    • COVID-19 Third Sector Response Forums
    • Community Care and Health Forum
    • Community Transport Forum
    • Connecting Volunteering Forum
    • Economic Resilience and Employment Forum
    • Safer Communities Forum
    • Tackling Poverty & Inequalities Forum
    • Voluntary Sector Children’s Services Forum (VSCSF)
    • Online Discussion Boards
  • Volunteering
    • Safe Volunteering and Helping Out During COVID-19
    • Volunteer Falkirk Phoneline
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Involving volunteers in your organisation
    • Saltire Awards
    • Volunteering FAQs
    • Volunteering and DWP Welfare Benefits
    • Resource Library – Volunteering
  • Organisation Support
    • Funding
    • COVID-19 Funding
    • Trustees’ Week 2020
    • Funding Portal
    • Resource Library – Organisation Support
  • Social Enterprise
    • National Support for Social Enterprise in Scotland
    • Local Support Organisations
    • Scotland’s Social Enterprise Strategy
    • Scotland’s Social Enterprise Census
    • Resource Library – Social Enterprise
  • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Community Responses, Resources and Guidance
    • Wellness In Winter
      • Thank You from CVS Falkirk
    • Recovery: “Review, Revive and Thrive”
    • COVID-19 Funding
    • Maximising Income
    • Organisation Directory
  • Contact
You are here: Home / News / New Advice Line for Older People Launched in Forth Valley

New Advice Line for Older People Launched in Forth Valley

Posted on December 11, 2015

Advice Line For You (ALFY), a new 24/7 health and social care advice line, which has been successfully piloted in the Bo’ness area, has been rolled out across Forth Valley to help older people remain well at home.

ALFY is available on 01324 567247, and is aimed at people aged 65 and over.  The service has been developed by NHS Forth Valley and its three council partners following feedback which highlighted that, wherever possible, older people prefer to stay in their own homes.

The new ALFY service does not replace existing services. Local people should still contact 999 in an emergency, or NHS24 on 111 if they think they need to see a GP when their GP surgery is closed and cannot wait until it re-opens.

ALFY is operated by experienced nurses who are able to listen to callers’ concerns, and make sure they receive the right help and support. This could range from offering general reassurance and advice on a wide range of health issues, to signposting callers to relevant emergency social work, voluntary or local services.

Staff are also able to book appointments to attend a rapid access frailty clinic at Forth Valley Royal Hospital where a number of tests or assessments can be carried out, or arrange for a community nurse to visit an older person at home, day or night, if required.

It is estimated it could benefit around 54,000 older people in the Forth Valley area as well as friends, family members and other people who may care for them. NHS Forth Valley has also written to around 3,800 older people across Forth Valley who they think could particularly benefit from this new service.

Irene Warnock, NHS Forth Valley’s Head of Community Nursing, said, “The feedback from some of the initial service users and their families in Bo’ness has been very positive and we already know that it has helped many local people access additional services and support which have enabled them to remain at home rather than having to be admitted to hospital.”

“We hope that, by making the service available to anyone aged 65 and over across Forth Valley, we will be able to help many older people access the services, support and reassurance they require. I would therefore encourage anyone in this age group to make use of this valuable new service or get in touch with us direct if they would like more information.”

NHS Forth Valley District Nurse Sandra Grant, one of the nurses who has been operating the ALFY line, said, “We have received positive feedback from the pilot project which confirms the service is making a real difference to older people. Some of those who have been referred by ALFY to local rehabilitation services said they felt more confident following help from occupational therapy and physiotherapy staff. Another lady, who had fallen in the past, said it was reassuring having the ALFY number. She also felt less frightened when a MECs alarm was installed after we referred her to this service. People in general have found it easier and quicker to get advice and help by phoning ALFY for a range of problems relating to both health and social issues.”

As part of the new service, older people are also being encouraged to develop a personal care plan known as Your Plan, and share this with their family and those people closest to them as well as health and care professionals. Your Plan allows people to document all the important things that matter to them in relation to their health and care needs in the one place. By sharing this information, everyone will know what to do if a problem arises and what support could be given to help people remain as independent as possible in their own home.

A number of information sessions are being organised across Forth Valley to raise awareness of the new ALFY service and answer any questions local people may have.

For further information about ALFY and Your Plan, including three short video clips, please visit the NHS Forth Valley website.

printfriendly pdf email button md

Filed Under: News

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

News archive

More news

LAST CHANCE: Virtual Falkirk Funders Fayre 2021

This weekend is your LAST CHANCE to book your place at the completely free, 3 day Virtual Falkirk Funders Fayre! Taking place NEXT WEEK, Tuesday 9th March – Thursday 11th March via Zoom, the Virtual Falkirk Funders Fayre will feature 3 one hour sessions each day – at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. You only need one ticket, and you can attend as many sessions as suits you.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

P4P “In Conversation With…Pockets & Prospects” Webinar

Partnership for Procurement (P4P) is holding their next “In Conversation With…” webinar on Friday 12th March, 11am – 12pm, joined by Mary Sinclair from SENScot to discuss the Pockets & Prospects project.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Communities Choices: Deadline TOMORROW

Falkirk Council has issued a gentle reminder that the deadline for submitting Expression of Interest forms for Falkirk’s Community Choices is Saturday 6th March.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

“Exploring Enablers and Barriers to Uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccine” Event

Voluntary Health Scotland (VHS) is holding online events throughout March, including “Exploring Enablers and Barriers to Uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccine” on Wednesday 10th March, 10am – 11:30am. VHS (along with key groups) will discuss the findings of their recent research across the third sector, aimed at ensuring the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Scotland doesn’t widen the health inequalities gap by missing vulnerable groups.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

RSS Third Force News

Footer

Supported by

Scottish Gov logo 2002
falkirk council1 150x150
NHS Forth Valley1 150x150
LW logo employer rgb2
EFQM 2 150x150
HWL1 150x150
Quality scotland
SES logo edit square v2 11 150x150

FV COC square

contactSCOTLAND BSL for Supported by snip 150x150

OSCR green for Supported by snip 150x150
printfriendly pdf email button md

E-bulletin sign up

Sign up to receive our weekly e-bulletin packed full of latest news, events and sector activity.

All our previous e-bulletins are available through the MailChimp archive.

Find us

Unit 6, The Court Yard, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk FK1 1XR

Tel: 01324 692000

Email: info@cvsfalkirk.org.uk

  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy

CVS Falkirk and District is a Company Limited by Guarantee in Scotland No. SC085838. Registered office: Unit 6 The Courtyard, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk, FK1 1XR. Scottish Charity No. SC000312

Copyright © 2021 CVS Falkirk and DIstrict · Site built by graphics.coop · Powered by WordPress